England’s cricket team is dealing with deep, ongoing trauma in a searing Test series against India. Under new captain Ben Stokes, they are committed to fighting these challenges. On paper, the team features eye-popping individual talent. Taken together, just their weaknesses have brought them to this historic place in the series. With the next three matches being their final chance, England needs to fix these issues if they want to get back on track and find their competitive spark again.
On the second day of the Edgbaston Test last week, Ollie Pope confirmed his value as an all-round threat and surprise bowler. He produced a ‘carrom ball’—a surprise delivery that goes from right to left—at least thrice as the first innings unfolded. It’ll be his batting performance that disappoints the most though. Unfortunately, Pope registered a duck and scored just 24 runs in his two innings. This lack of reliability in the batter’s box has played a huge factor in the growing frustrations surrounding the team and its fans.
Mohammed Siraj was the pick of Indian bowlers on show. He was the only fast bowler in his team’s squad to not exceed 62 overs during the course of a match. Siraj displayed his tremendous potency, taking two wickets in all three of his individual bowling frames. This vital display ensured that England had very few chances to score. Akash Deep truly was India’s trump card. He captured 10 wickets during the game, furthering his reputation for taking advantage of England’s trials and tribulations.
Zak Crawley too, was still a little stuck going face, not able to get away from the horror of his current batting dip. No wonder those international cricket pressures are pounding down on him. He’s trying to find desperate form in a series where so many other players have had a hard time finding their impactful contributions.
Most recently, Jamie Overton received his one and only Test cap in 2022. He remains the focal point of a malleable bowling attack that’s still searching for its best formula. Gus Atkinson, a promising talent, has not played since May due to a hamstring injury, further complicating England’s bowling strategy. Jofra Archer has played just four games in the past five months. In truth, he’s bowled in two innings of a Test match only once in the last four years, much to the worry of his fitness and availability.
For India, Shoaib Bashir has been the dark horse and a threat in the entire series so far. He has bowled a phenomenal 679.1 overs with an economy of 3.80. Overall, he has taken eight wickets, but six have been caught in the deep. His dominance underscores the wildly different paths each team has taken heading into this pivotal part of the series.
Shubman Gill has been the star player for India. He has accumulated an astounding 585 runs in just two games! Gill is about to displace Don Bradman’s historic record. He requires only 389 more runs in the remaining three Tests to accomplish this remarkable feat. His form represents even further complication to an England team that’s lost in the wilderness.
At the moment, England is fighting its way through a similarly maddening cycle. Their opponents have very clearly outsmarted them. The combination of individual errors and lack of cohesive team performance has left them in a precarious position in the series. The expectation only increases on Stokes and his backroom staff to gather their thoughts and recalibrate before they go into England’s next outing.
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